Iron Horse Warrior: 2009 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD

Wayne Sayetsitty is into his big red trucks, and it’s more a family tradition than just a hobby. You see, Wayne is as proud of his Native American heritage as he is of his big red Chevys. And though this truck may look fancy, it gets its fair share of use and abuse, the same way his father and uncles all used their trucks.

Wayne is a smart businessman and Native American entrepreneur, so when he recognized the skill and talent of the fabricators at Randy Ellis Design he opted to give them free reign when building his then-new ’09 Chevy 2500HD. The resulting machine works as well as it looks. Yes, those are 22-inch wheels, but that doesn’t mean it’s a street cruiser. This truck has been battered on Arizona rocks and hammered down desert two-tracks, and can still look good heading out on the town. A solid axle lives up front with 40-inch tires, but unlike some “disco” trucks, this one has had extensive bodywork to keep it from getting too tall.

Under the hood is the venerable Duramax diesel engine. Upgrades include a PPE Hot+2 tuner, Banks intake and dual exhaust, and an ARB compressor. The smoked front headlights are projection beams. Behind that powerplant is an Allison transmission built by Arizona Precision Transmission.

You won’t miss this truck running down the road, and you may be surprised when you see it flexing up on the trail, but this is a shape-shifter of sorts, always rising to the occasion wherever its 40-inch Toyos may lead. No matter what, Wayne’s warrior blood should be proud of such a majestic ride.

To clear the 40-inch Toyo Open Country M/Ts on 22-inch XD series rims, the front wheelwell was opened 6 inches and the rear 21⁄2 per side. The bright red paint comes from Kandy Shop Kreations.